In July of 2025, Denison University welcomed Matt Tanney as the athletics department's third Athletic Director. Tanney will assume the role of Associate V.P., Director of Athletics and Associate Professor of Physical Education, where he will be a member of the president's senior staff and oversee all aspects of the university's NCAA Division III athletic program, campus recreation, and physical education. He will oversee a department of 26 intercollegiate sports, 100 full-time and part-time coaches and staff, approximately 650 student-athletes, and 350 student employees.
"Intercollegiate athletics is at an inflection point, and Denison is positioned to lead in this new era as a model of academic and athletic excellence with its unparalleled commitment to holistic student development," Tanney said. "I'm excited to support President Weinberg's vision for the university and work alongside coaches and staff to not only build on Nan's incredible legacy, but to innovate and enhance opportunities for Big Red scholar-athletes to win championships and develop as leaders at an elite liberal arts institution."
At Wabash, Tanney led a staff of more than 50 staff members, oversaw the execution of the Monon Bell Classic, one of the largest D-III football rivalry games in the U.S., and spearheaded the addition of men's volleyball as a varsity sport in 2019.
Tanney has extensive teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels and a track record of building relationships with students, staff, and alumni.
Prior to his time at Wabash, Tanney worked in the athletic departments at Western Illinois University, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Dayton, and The Ohio State University. As the athletic director at Western Illinois, he led a 19-sport NCAA Division I athletics program, supervising a department with a $12 million budget and more than 80 coaches and other staff.
An English major at Wabash, Tanney graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, then earned a law degree from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law at Indiana University.
He hails from a family with deep connections to competitive athletics, including two brothers with NFL ties: Alex Tanney, assistant coach for the Indianapolis Colts and retired NFL quarterback, and Mitch Tanney, former director of analytics for the Denver Broncos. His father, Don Tanney, is a member of the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Tanney and his wife, Julia, have twin daughters.
